Tile-cutting machine.



J. L. SHERON.

TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911.

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Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co., WASHINGTON, u. L.

J. L. SHERON.

TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

PPLIOATIOI; IILBD MAY18, 1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH (IO-.WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. L. SHERON.

TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911.

J. L. SHERON.

TILE 00mm MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911. 1,()] '7,922 Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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g a 2 E COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH cu., WASHINGTON. u, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IAMES Il- SI-IERON, OF MARION, INDIANA.

TILE-CUTTING- MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. SHERON, of Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for cutting plastic material, such as clay,the machine being particularly applicable for cutting tubular tiling, bricks, etc.

One object of the invention is to construct the machine in such manner that a straight, smooth out can be made with the use of wire cutting means.

A further object is to construct the machine in such manner that it shall be operated by the movement of the tile to be cut as the same come from the tile forming machine.

A further object is to so construct and arrange the mechanism that the cutter operating devices will be caused to move out of the way at the discharge end of the machine to permit anattendant to conveniently and quickly remove severed tile sections.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for attaching and replacing the cutting wires. 7

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation (partly broken away) of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the reel and a portion of the carrying and operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of one of the carriers, and Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged detail views showing the attaching means for the cutting wires.

1, 2, represent standards or uprights which sustain the mechanism. Supported by these uprights are elliptical trackways 3 which are disposed edgewise and suitably braced together, said trackways being spaced apart a suflicient distance to accommodate the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1911.

. Patented Feb. 20,1912.

Serial No. 628,103.

wheels of trucks or carriers. Disposed within and spaced from each elliptical trackway 3 is a trackway4 and the latter are braced to the trackways 3 and to each other in any suitable manner. Each trackway 4 comprises a lower horizontal member 5, an upper horizontal member 6, a long inclined end portion 7 and a shorter inclined portion 8, the latter being located at the discharge end of the machine. The lower member 5 of each trackway 4 is provided with a lower flange 9 and an upper flange 10, the latter constituting a continuation of the lower flanges of the top and end members of said trackway 4. The lower flange 9 of the bottom member of trackway 4 is curved at each end as at 1112 so as to embrace the curved junctures of the inclined members 7 and 8 with the lower member 5 of said trackway 4.

The elliptical trackway 3 is for the accommodation of a carrier which consists of a plurality of trucks 13 pivotally connected together, as at 14. Each truck 13 is provided with a platform 15 comprising a plurality of members 16 hinged together said members being so formed that they can be disposed approximately in line with each other so as to constitute a flat platform but when tubular tiling is to be cut, it is desirable that the truck platforms shall be curved to form a cradle and, by hinging the sections of the platform together said sections or members can be made to assume a curved formation as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Each lateral member of the sectional platform 15 is provided with a cleat 17 and to these cleats, a spring member 18 will be secured and thus yieldingly connect these several platform members. Each lateral platform member has attached thereto, a leg 19 and these legs are adapted to engage lugs 20 on the truck frame,a plurality of said lugsbeing provided at each side of the truck platform so that the sectional platform can be held in different adjustments to accommodate the particular tiling to be operated upon.

The cutting mechanism to be hereinafter described is so constructed that the cutters will pass down between the trucks in the operation of cutting the tile. Clay tiling has a skin or outer surface which is somewhat more brittle than the body of the tile and this brittle skin or crust is liable to chip when engaged by a cutting wire. To avoid such chipping of the tiling and thus insure a clean smooth cut, I provide each truck platform at respective ends thereof with strips 21 of rubber or other yielding material and cause these strips to project slightly beyond the ends of the truck platform so that when two trucks are in horizontal alinement, the projecting edges of the yielding strips on adjacent truck platforms will abut against each other so that the cutting wire will pass oown between them and the crust of skin of the tile be protected by said yielding strips as the cutting wire passes through the tile. In order to facilitate the removal of a tile section from a truck, the lateral platform members will be made with notches or recesses 22 to accommodate the hands of the attendant.

The standards or uprights 2 are extended above the trackways above described and at their upper ends are provided with bearings for a horizontal shaft 23 which carries the cutting reel. This cutting reel 24 comprises two heads 25 having a plurality of pairs of arms 2G,-the arms of each pair being disposed at an acute angle to each other. The cutting reel also comprises a plurality of U-shaped frames 27 disposed between the heads 25 and pivotally attached thereto as at 28. The end members of each U-shaped frame 27 constitute radial arms 29 which project outwardly beyond the arms 26 of head 25 and are movable between the arms 26,each arm 29 being adapted to swing from one arm 26 to the other of a pair and in order to accurately regulate the throw of the arms 29 and provide suitable abutments therefor, adjustable screws 30 are provided in the arms 26 near the free ends of the same, and provided with cushionsSO? At the free end of each arm 29 of the frames 28, a circular head or roller 31 is located and this head is made with a slot 82 to aline with a slot 33 in the free end of arm 29 for the accommodation of a cutting wire 84,-said cutting wires extending from one arm 29 to the other of each U-shaped frame 27. To facilitate the attachment and replacing of cutting wires, the devices now to be explained will be employed :An arm or bracket 35 is fixed to and projects laterally from each arm 29 somewhat removed from the free end thereof and to this arm or bracket a rod or pin 36 is fixed and so disposed as to be approximately parallel with the arm 29. A movable head or collar 37 is mounted on the rod 36 and limited in one direction by a head 88 on said rod. Between the head 37 and the arm or bracket 35 a coiled spring 39 is located on the rod 36, said spring bearing at one end against the arm or bracket 35 and at the other end against the head or collar 37. A bifurcated lever 40 is pivotally attached to the movable head or collar 37 and between the ends of this lever the rear end of a bifurcated le ver 41 is pivotally attached. The lever 40 constitutes an operating lever while the lever 41 projects approximately to the end of the arm 29, where it is provided with a hook 42 for engagement of a suitable loop formed at the end of the cutting wire 34. Bet-ween the arm or bracket 35 and the free end of the arm 29, a lug or post 43 is fixed and against this lug or post the lever 41 has a bearing. \Vhen the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 9, with the end of the cutting wire attached to the hook 42, the operator will move the lever 40 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10. This will cause the lever 40 to move rearwardly and at the same time turn somewhat on the lug or post 43. WVhen the parts shall have been made to assume the positions shown in Fig. 10, the cutting wire will have been drawn taut; the spring 39 compressed, and the pivotal connection between the levers 40 and 41 will have been moved past a dead center relatively to the pivotal connection of the lever 40 with the movable head or collar 37, and thusthe parts will be locked in operative position. VVit-h such construction the cutting wire can be quickly secured in position and, in case of a broken wire, the same can be quickly replaced with a new one. Furthermore the connecting devices above described afford a yielding connection for the cutting wires with the reel arms and thus the liability of breakage of the cutting wires upon meeting abnormal resistance in the tile is reduced to a minimum.

For the purpose of operating the cutter reel and properly guiding the cutting wires, a plurality of arms 44 are provided and arranged in pairs,-each pair of arms 44 being provided with rollers 45 to run on the inside trackway 4 as presently explained. The pairs of arms 44 are provided with laterally projecting rods 46 at their lower ends and these rods are pivotally attached to the truck frames 13 between the ends of the latter as shown at- 47. A tile, coming from the tile forming machine, will move upon a truck at the receiving end at the left hand end of Fig. l and the movement of the tile will cause the travel of the trucks composing the carrier of my improved machine. As the trucks with the tile thereon move forwardly over the upper portion of the trackways 8,

an arm 44 will become disposed in a vertical position and, upon meeting the circular head or rollers of one of the U-shaped frames 27 of the cutting reel, will cause said frame and the cutting wire carried thereby to descend and the reel to rotate. As the cutting reel rotates, the cutting wire will move in the arc of a circle and at the same time the tile carried on the trucks will move in a horizontal direction and at a corresponding rate of speed. The parts are so proportioned that the cutting wire will engage the tile where the same passes from one truck plat form to another and as the parts move, the cutting wire will pass through the tileand effect a straight out at exactly right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tile. After the tile has been cut, the truck carrying the severed section of tile will move forwardly and the continued rotation of the cutting reel will cause the cutting wire to ascend. WVhen the truck carrying the severed section of the tile begins to run on the curved end portions of the elliptical trackways at the right hand or discharge end of the machine, the rollers 45 of the operating arms 44 will ride down the inclined portion 8 of the trackway 4 and thus said operating arms will be kept away from the truck a sufficient distance to permit the attendant to readily grasp the tile section and remove the same from the truck. After the cutting of the tile has been eflected, it is desirable that the cutting wire and the U-shaped frame which carries it shall be quickly moved out of'the way and for this purpose the devices now to be explained will be employed.

An L-shape lever 48 is pivotally supported by one of the uprights 2 and the long arm 49 of this lever is provided at its free end with the roller 50 to engage an arm 29 of the U-shape frame 27 carrying the cutting wire just in advance of the cutting wire which has made the last out. The short arm 51 of the L-shaped lever depends in position to be engaged by rollers 52 mounted on the extended axles of the trucks. Thus after a out has been made and the truck carrying the severed section of tile advances, the roller 52 on the axle of said truck will engage the arm 51 of lever 48 and turn said lever so as to cause the roller 50 on the long arm 49 to engage one of the arms of the preceding U-shaped frame 27 and swing said frame upwardly between the arms 26 of the head 25 from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that a tile section will be removed by an attendant when the truck carrying the same reaches the position shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1. hen the tile section shall have been removed and the truck which carried the same continues to move around the curved end of the trackway 3, said truck will move along the lower portion of the t-rackway until it reaches the curved portion at the receiving end of the machine and will then again ride upon the upper portion and become disposed in position to receive tiling. As the rollers 45 of the operating arms 44 reach the lower ends of the inclined port-ions 8 of the inner trackways 4, they will be guided by the curved flanges 11 and directed thereby to the lower flanges 9 of the lower members 5 of said inner trackway. As these operating arms and the trucks move from the discharge end of the machine to the receiving end thereof, the operating arms will be held up and caused to ride along the flanges 9 of the lower members 5 of said inner trackway. When the operating arms reach the receiving end of the machine, the rollers 45 will be guided by the curved flange 12 onto the long inclined portion 7 of the inner trackway, up which they will ride and finally become disposed in vertical position on the upper member 6 of said inner trackway.

In order to prevent too free or rapid rotation of the cutting reel, a friction spring 54 will be employed, said spring being secured to one of the uprights 2 and adapted to bear against'the arms of the heads 25.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details hereln set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is,-

1. The combination with two trackways and cutting mechanism above said trackways, of a plurality of trucks movable on one of said trackways, and a plurality of cutter operating arms movable on the other trackway, and arms projecting from said first mentioned arms and pivotally connected with the trucks.

2. The combination with inner and outer trackways, the inner trackway having an inclined end portion, and cutting mechanism disposed over said trackways, of trucks movable on the outer trackway, cutter operating arms movable on the inner trackwa-y, and arms projecting from said cutter operating arms and pivoted to the trucks.

3. The combination with a plurality of connected trucks and a cutting reel, of operating devices for the cutting reel connected with said trucks, and means for moving said operating devices out of the way of the trucks after each cutting operation of the cutting reel.

4. The combination with a plurality of connected trucks and a cutting reel disposed over the same, of operating devices for said cut-ting reel, means connecting said operating devices with the trucks, means for causing said operating devices to be moved away from the trucks at the discharge end of the machine to facilitate the removal of severed material from the trucks.

5. The combination with trackways and an endless series of trucks movable on said trackways, of cutting mechanism over said trackways, inner trackways having inclined end portions, operating arms for the cut-ting mechanism movable on said inner trackways and connections between said operating arms and the trucks.

6. The combination with endless trackways and a connected series of trucks movable on said endless trackways, of cutting mechanism over said trackways, inner endless trackways having inclined end portions, operating arms for the cutting mechanism, wheels carried by said arms and adapted to travel on said inner trackway, flanges on the lower members of the inner trackways to receive said rollers and sustain the operating arms, and connecting devices rigid with said operating arms and pivotally connected with the trucks.

7. The combination with a plurality of traveling trucks to carry material to be cut, of acutting reel comprising a plurality of radial arms, a rod carried by each arm, a head movable on said rod, a spring on said rod and bearing against said head, an operating lever pivoted to said head, a lever pivoted to the operating lever and provided at its free end with a hook, a cutting wire connected with the hook lever on each radial 25 plurality of radial arms arranged in pairs, a 30 plurality of radial arms pivotally connected with said. heads and adapted to swing between the radial arms of the latter, cutting wires carried by the swinging radial arms,

means for turning said reel, and an L-shaped 3 lever operable by the trucks and adapted to engage the swinging radial arms to raise the same after the cutting operation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 49 ing witnesses.

JAMES L. SHERON.

Witnesses BURT L. FRnNoH, I. F. FULLHART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

